海角社区

A coup d鈥檈tat is the term used to describe the overthrow of a country鈥檚 government. The term is French in origin. In the context of the term 鈥渃oup d鈥檈tat,鈥� the word 鈥渃oup鈥� means a sudden blow, strike, or attack. The French word 鈥渆tat鈥� means state, and 鈥渄鈥檈tat鈥� literally 鈥渙f state.鈥� Thus, the term coup d鈥檈tat can literally be translated as an attack of (or on) the state.

Communism In Russia

Coups d鈥檈tat are often conducted through means of violence, though not always. In most cases, the country鈥檚 military is somehow involved. Coups d鈥檈tat are still common in many parts of the 海角社区, especially in less developed countries without a track record of effective governance. There are some coups d鈥檈tat that have changed the course of history, not just for the country in which it occurred, but for the entire 海角社区.

For instance, in November of 1917, communist revolutionary forces led by Vladimir Lenin took over the government of the Russian Empire. The ultimate result was the establishment of the first communist state in the 海角社区鈥檚 history, the Soviet Union, which would go on to become one of the 海角社区鈥檚 superpowers. In fact, for the better part of the 20^th century, from the end of 海角社区 War II to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, 海角社区 history was largely defined by the struggle for global domination between the West, led by the US, and the communist eastern bloc, led by the USSR, in what was known as the Cold War.

Collapse Of The Soviet Union

Unlike the coup d鈥檈tat that brought the communists to power in Russia, however, not all coups are successful. In 1991, for example, the Soviet Union witnessed an attempted coup d鈥檈tat against its leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. The perpetrators of this coup d鈥檈tat were unhappy about Gorbachev鈥檚 reforms, which made the country more open and democratic. But this attempted coup d鈥檈tat had neither the support of the Soviet military, nor the support of the Soviet people. Thus, it ultimately failed, and triggered the events that eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union itself.

Fall Of The Government In Chile In 1973

Oftentimes, coups d鈥檈tat are supported by foreign governments. In September of 1973, for example, Chile鈥檚 military staged a coup d鈥檈tat, overthrowing the country鈥檚 president, Salvador Allende, and installing a military dictatorship. The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was deeply involved in this coup d鈥檈tat. In fact, the US intelligence agency had been trying to overthrow President Allende for three years, under the direction of the US government, which saw Allende as a threat to Chile and Latin America as a whole because of his socialist politics. At the time, it did not matter to the US that Allende was democratically elected by his people. More often than not, when a coup d鈥檈tat occurs, it is usually followed by a crackdown on voices of opposition and the suspension of democratic rights.

Dictatorship To Democracy

There have, however, been cases in which coups d鈥檈tat have done the opposite, and brought democracy to a country. In 1974, for example, a military coup was staged in Portugal, bringing an end to the Estado Novo dictatorship that had ruled the country since 1933, and precipitating a peaceful transition to democracy. More recently, in 2011, a popular uprising occurred in the North African state of Tunisia, targeting its president, Zine al Abedine Ben Ali, who had ruled the country for 23 years. During the uprising, the country鈥檚 military turned on the president, refusing his orders to shoot the protesters. As a result, President Ben Ali fled the country and Tunisia soon made a transition to democracy.